Corn Tortilla Time

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 19:34:58 -0400

Just sharing some photos of tortilla making time! Or "Forteetas" as ds calls it. Since I first mentioned this $2 investment back in May, we've made these several times with great success!

Our workstation

I can do it all by myself

Best $2 I've Ever Spent....

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Mon, 22 May 2006 21:35:00 -0400

We enjoy taco night at home. The taco meat I make from scratch (prepackaged seasonings usually have wheat starch and some kind of lactose). Our condiments are many and varied, although they don't include sour cream or cheese: tomatoes, lettuce, onions, refried beans, black olives, green chilies, allergy-safe guacamole and salsa.

Pre-food allergies, we used to have soft (wheat) flour tortillas for our tacos. With present-day food allergies, I switched to store-bought fried taco shells. The corn tortillas are safe for ds.

We tried the soft corn tortillas. They were horrible, smelled terrible. I followed the directions and heated them in the microwave. Yuck. A friend of mine whose parents are from Mexico told me her mother was horrified and disgusted to think of how those tortillas might have tasted. Raw and uncooked! She suggested using a griddle to heat them up. My friend also suggested that I fry the corn tortillas myself. The fresher the tortilla, the better. I have fear of frying and only 2 burners right now, so I haven't taken that plunge.

But right after this conversation, I chanced upon Alton Brown on "Good Eats" on fresh corn tortillas. I was riveted...apparently they aren't just corn flour and water. The corn requires soaking in water a type of calcium carbonate (lime) to break down its components (more info) to create masa for the dough.

The very same week I found a traditional tortilla press at our parish festival's White Elephant Sale for $2. What luck, I thought! I can actually try out making these from scratch!

My local grocery store just expanded the Hispanic section and I found instant masa mix (I used Goya), so tonight my son and I made corn tortillas to accompany our tacos. The instructions on the bag weren't perfect, so it took longer due to trial and error. There are kinks to work out the next time, but overall this was quite a success! Ds was able to be hands on with a mixture without any worry of an allergic reaction, and he was making something he could eat. "I'm making Forteeyas!" He also interchangeably calls them "pancakes."

I think a tortilla press should be added to the list of kitchen tools for children. Maria Montessori would approve! The ease of use for this hand press was amazing. Ds caught on after the first try and needed no coaching or help after showing him. He placed the dough ball in the middle and pressed down with success each time. To see his flattened tortilla was such a joy!

And we enjoyed eating them. These tasted and smelled much better than the store-bought and ds was savoring every bite.

The $2 press is a huge success!

Family Food for Feast and Feria - montessori

Corn Tortilla Time

Best $2 I've Ever Spent....